1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sheet metal member to be screwed to a panel having a screw hole formed in a side surface thereof, an information display apparatus having a display panel fixed to a sheet metal member, and a panel unit manufacturing method of manufacturing a panel unit by screwing a sheet metal member to a panel.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a field of personal computers, an apparatus is required to be made smaller and lighter, and also required to have a larger display panel at the same time. In order to realize such requirements, for example, a display apparatus using a thin and light liquid crystal panel is applied, and a light source, a control circuit board, and the like are arranged on a back side rather than adjacent to the liquid crystal panel so that a display screen is spread out by the amount of narrowed clearance between a casing and the liquid crystal panel. The liquid crystal panel, the control circuit board for controlling the liquid crystal panel, and the like tend to be easily damaged due to a shock and the like. Thus, the liquid crystal panel and the control circuit board are usually held together onto the sheet metal member and the sheet metal member is fixed to a main body casing so that a strength is enhanced.
Now, manufacturers manufacturing personal computers do not manufacture liquid crystal panels on their own. In general, the manufacturers purchase the liquid crystal panels already manufactured from specialized manufacturers and install the liquid crystal panels in electronic devices. In many cases, the liquid crystal panels are obtained from multiple manufacturers, and accordingly, personal computers of a same model may be sometimes equipped the liquid crystal panels of different manufacturers.
However, large liquid crystal panels have been recently developed one after another, and it is a reality that the depth and the like of screw holes for sheet metal members to be attached to the liquid crystal panels, the sizes of the liquid crystal panels, and the like have not yet standardized among the multiple manufacturers manufacturing the liquid crystal panels. Accordingly, even among the liquid crystal panels having the same external size, the depth of the screw holes and the like may slightly differ among multiple types of liquid crystal panels manufactured respectively by multiple manufacturers. Thus, manufacturers manufacturing personal computers need to prepare sheet metal members and screws appropriate for screw holes of each of the multiple types of liquid crystal panels respectively, and there exists problems that the cost is increased and management of parts becomes cumbersome.
Concerning this point, a metal sheet member is formed with an elongated hole that overlaps with multiple screw holes each arranged on each of the multiple types of liquid crystal panels, and screwing is done at a precise position using a jig and the like. Furthermore, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. H5-274986 discloses a thermal relay enabling commonality of parts by moving a gang moving plate having slits according to the size of each of multiple devices.
However, a method of fixing with screws using a jig is troublesome and takes time, thus leading to an increase in cost. In a case where the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. H5-274986 is attempted to be used, there exist a problem that the cost is increased because it requires a special sheet metal member arranged with a slit of a separate member and a problem that it becomes troublesome to assemble parts because a position of the slit must be fine adjusted according to the screw hole of the liquid crystal panel.